Myanmar delegation arrives in Bangladesh for refugee repatriation discussion

A military junta delegation from Myanmar reaches Bangladesh on Tuesday to discuss with the Bangla authorities over the repatriation process for Muslim refugees.

The team comprises 32 officials under the leadership of Saw Naing, Maungdaw district immigration director from Rakhine State.

According to Dhaka Tribune media outlet, the junta delegation had arrived in Cox’s Bazar locality of south Bangladesh to discuss Rohingya refugees issues so that the long-stalled plan for the refugees’ return can be materialised.

The additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Shamsud Douza and other Bangla government officials have discussed this with the visiting Myanmar team.

Earlier on 15 March and 25 May, Myanmar sent delegations to Bangladesh over the same issues. The verification of about 700 persecuted minority people was already completed.

Meanwhile on 5 May, a delegation of Bangla government officers and representatives of Refugee community visited Rakhine State to inspect the group situation.

Douza informed that the discussion will go with the repatriation process and verification of refugees (who are returning to Myanmar).

On Tuesday, 150 Refugee families were interviewed by the visiting team at Leda-Nayapara camp.

Dhaka sent a list of 888,000 refugees to Myanmar in 2018, following which Nay Pyi Daw returned a list of 68,000 people.

In January 2022, 1,140 people were initially selected for repatriation as part of a pilot project. Myanmar agreed to accept 711 Refugees after raising objections to the remaining others.

During the period, a delegation with 17 members came to Bangladesh to verify the information relating to those 429 people.

Bajlul Rahman, leader of Leda refugee camp in Teknaf, participated in the meeting with the Myanmar team and stated that more than 50 people were brought from his camp. They talked about the return journey to Myanmar.

Nur Kabir, a settler of Teknaf's Shalbagan refugee camp, also attended the meeting and he said that they presented their demands in front of the visiting Myanmar delegates.